Dinamo Zagreb suffered a heartbreak in the Champions League as they were eliminated on goal difference despite securing a 2-1 victory over AC Milan in their final group game. The Polish side finished 25th but were level on points with Manchester City, Sporting, and Club Brugge, missing out on the next stage due to goal difference.
AC Milan, on the other hand, had to settle for a play-off spot instead of a place in the round of 16 after a nightmare away trip that saw Yunus Musah being sent off in the first half. Martin Baturina took advantage of a Matteo Gabbia mistake and put Dinamo ahead in the 19th minute. However, their advantage was short-lived as Musah received a second yellow card in the 39th minute.
Despite being a man down, Milan managed to equalize in the 53rd minute through Christian Pulisic, who fired a shot into the bottom corner after cutting in from the right. Dinamo had two goals disallowed, one for handball and another for offside, before finally regaining the lead in the 60th minute with an angled finish from Marko Pjaca.
Milan thought they had a penalty soon after the goal, but it was overturned by the referee after a VAR review. The match ended with a scoreline of 2-1 in favor of Dinamo Zagreb.
While Dinamo’s 25th-placed finish meant they missed out on further progression, AC Milan’s 13th-placed finish secured them a spot in the play-off, where they will face either Juventus or Feyenoord.
In other news, Yunus Musah’s red card against Dinamo Zagreb made him the youngest player to be sent off for Milan in a Champions League match at the age of 22 years and 61 days. Milan also holds the record for the most players sent off in the first half of Champions League matches, with eight of their 12 red cards occurring before halftime. Additionally, the defeat against Dinamo Zagreb was Milan’s first-ever loss against them, having won all six of their previous meetings.
Overall, it was a thrilling encounter that saw Dinamo Zagreb emerge victorious but ultimately fall short in their Champions League campaign. AC Milan, despite the setback, can still look forward to their upcoming play-off fixture.
